Recipes by Sally Field: Chicken in Wheat Germ Crust; Peanut Butter Honey Granola; Rhubarb-Raisin Conserve; Summer Cobbler

Sally Field's Chicken in Wheat Germ Crust

6 chicken breasts or 2 chicken fryers, cut into serving-size pieces
1 cup vacuum-packed wheat germ
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 heaping tsp. "spiked" herbs (available in health food stores) or your
favorite herbs (parsley flakes, fines herbes)
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Wash and dry chicken parts; place in paper bag. Combine remaining ingredients; put into bag. Close bag; shake vigorously so chicken parts are well-coated.

Place in single layer in a greased shallow baking pan. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F. oven about 50 minutes, turning once. Cook until chicken is fork-tender. Serve piping hot. Serves 6.

Sally Field's Peanut Butter Honey Granola

1 cup seedless raisins
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla
4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dried figs, snipped
1 cup shelled peanuts

Pour boiling water over raisins; let stand 10 minutes, drain. In saucepan, combine peanut butter, honey and cinnamon; heat thoroughly, stirring carefully. Remove peanut butter mixture from heat; stir in vanilla.

Spread oats over bottom of large shallow roasting pan or baking dish. Pour warm peanut butter mixture over oats; stir gently or use hands to mix until oats are well-coated.

Bake in preheated 300 degrees F. oven 35 to 40 minutes, stir occasionally. Turn off oven, stir in figs and peanuts, let dry in oven 1 1/2 hours, stirring often.

Store in covered jar in cool, dry place. Eat by the handful. Makes 8 cups.

Thoughts: Terrific for a quick energy snack served over ice cream or "crust" for fresh peach cobbler. Sally says, "It goes so fast I never have time to think of creative ways to use it."

Sally Field's Rhubarb-Raisin Conserve

5 lbs. tender rhubarb
8 cups raw sugar (or use plain granulated sugar)
2 cups cider vinegar
2 cups seedless raisins
2 oranges, rind and juice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups chopped black walnuts
1 cup drained liquid from rhubarb

Wash rhubarb, trim stalks; cut into 1-inch pieces Cover with boiling water; let stand 3 minutes. Drain; reserve 1 cup liquid.

Put rhubarb in large kettle with liquid and remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat about 35 to 40 minutes, or until mixture is thick and sheets from spoon. Stir often to prevent burning.

Pour into hot, sterilized jars; seal at once. Makes 10 - 8 oz. jars. Delicious with roast turkey, roast beef or roast pork. Makes a lovely gift.

Note: Recipe is from 1977. To prevent foodborne illness, conserve should be processed in a water bath canner.

Sally Field's Summer Cobbler

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of kosher or sea salt
3/4 cup milk
2 cups fruit

Place stick of butter in 6 x 10-inch baking dish. Put in 350 degrees F. oven to melt. Mix remaining ingredients except fruit. Pour into dish with melted butter. Place fruit on top, but do not stir. Bake until crusty, about 30-35 minutes.

Jose Ferrer's Rice Concoction

Jose Ferrer's Rice Concoction

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1 bay leaf, crumbled
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped
1 cup drained cooked tiny peas

In skillet, saute bacon until crisp. Remove bacon bits. Add onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Stir in basil, oregano and bay leaf. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, tomato and peas. Cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring. Add bacon bits. Serve hot with green salad. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Chopped clams, flaked smoked fish, smoked turkey, cheese or bits of cooked ham are nice in lieu of bacon. Take it from there.

Recipes by Barbara Feldon: Salad; Shrimp Curry

Barbara Feldon's Salad

Chilled, cleaned Bibb lettuce
Chicory
Watercress
Romaine lettuce
Fresh mushrooms (caps and stems)
Chopped green scallions or onions
Sliced (pickled) beets
Cherry tomatoes
Cooked fish or meat (crab or shrimp or roast beef or lamb cut in julienne strips)

Combine ingredients in salad bowl. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt. Toss lightly with a French dressing made with oil (vegetable or olive) and champagne vinegar (or 1 tablespoon Burgundy mixed with 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice) or lemon juice. Serve with sweet pumpernickel, spread lightly with lightly salted butter.

Barbara Feldon's Shrimp Curry

1/2 pound cooked, cleaned shrimp
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup water
1 medium yellow onion
3 teaspoons corn oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon salt

Crush garlic, add ginger and water. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Saute diced onion slowly in corn oil. Add ground coriander, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, and yogurt to onions. Add garlic-water mixture and salt. Simmer very slowly 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add shrimp, heat through. Serve over steamed long-grained rice. Top with any of the following condiments: coconut-banana (soak 1 tablespoon dry shredded coconut in 2 tablespoons hot milk for 1/2 hour. Combine with 3 thinly sliced or mashed bananas); sweet dry raisins, crisp chilled watercress, chopped peanuts, chutney, hot pickled mangoes (or hot green peppers). Serves 4.

Eileen Farrell's Lasagne

Eileen Farrell's Lasagne

Sauce:

Two 29 oz. cans Italian tomatoes
2 cans tomato paste
2 cups water
4 large garlic cloves
2 large chopped yellow onions
4 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon basil
2 large bay leaves
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound lean ground beef (or cooked diced pork, lamb, or lobster)

Combine all ingredients (excluding meat) in large stew pan. Cover, barely simmer 6 hours. Stir occasionally. Add more water if needed. Add meat during last 20 minutes.

Meat Layer:

Combine 1/4 cup chopped proscuitto ham (or cooked bacon crumbles or Smithfield ham) with 1 cup cooked minced chicken, 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley, 1/8 teaspoon mint flakes, and a dash of pepper.

Lasagne:

1/2 pound lasagne
15 ounces ricotta cheese
Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

While sauce simmers, cook lasagne according to package instructions. Drain well. Arrange lasagne in the casserole in layers, alternating with layers of sauce, Mozzarella and ricotta, and meat mixture until lasagne is all used. Sprinkle each layer with grated Parmesan cheese. End with ricotta layer topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees about 20 minutes, or until Mozzarella melts. Makes 8 servings.

Jinx Falkenburg's Arroz a la Valenciana

Jinx Falkenburg's Arroz a la Valenciana

Brown onions and garlic in a pan of oil, add tomatoes, and Spanish saffron. Add the rice dry (not cooked) and enough boiling water to be absorbed by the rice as it cooks. An hour before serving add button mushrooms, fresh shrimp and clams. Serve with a tossed green salad and sour bread.

Recipes by Peter Falk: Barbecued Spare Ribs, Chinatown-Style; Just Plain Avocados

Peter Falk's Barbecued Spare Ribs, Chinatown-Style

2 pounds of lean baby pork ribs, fat removed
2 teaspoons minced ginger root (or 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder)
1 scallion (white part only), minced
1 small clove garlic (pressed)
1 tablespoon chili sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons ***Hoisin sauce (or hot tomato catsup)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey

Prepare marinade by combining all ingredients except ribs and honey. Blend into thick paste. Place ribs in shallow pan, brush both sides with marinade, and let stand at room temperature 2 hours. Turn once, basting both sides. Brush both sides with honey. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Ribs are cooked in suspended position either by attaching magnetic hooks to ceiling of oven or by means of double hooks which may be fashioned by bending the ends of small metal skewers into hooks. One end of skewer is hooked into fleshy part of ribs and other end looped over oven rack set as high as possible in oven. Place foil-lined pan filled with a little water below meat to catch drippings and moisturize meat. Roast meat 30 minutes in 275 degrees preheated oven, then 30 minutes at 300 degrees and finally 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until ribs are crisp but moist. Serve hot or cold by cutting between each rib. Serve with duck sauce or hot mustard sauce. Serves 4 as hors d'oeuvre.

***Hoisin sauce is spiced bottled Chinese catsup available in Oriental food shops.

Peter Falk's Just Plain Avocados

2 small ripe avocados
Lemon (or lime) juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper (or a few sprinkles white pepper)
A few tablespoons bottled French dressing (or vinaigrette sauce)

Select fruit carefully: fruit should be beginning to soften, but avoid bruising when handling; kernel may rattle slightly if fruit is ripe, and flesh should be evenly green with no soft, dark spots. Cut lengthwise in half, remove seed, peel into pieces as desired (or leave whole); sprinkle liberally with fresh lemon (or lime) juice, season to taste. Drizzle pieces with French dressing (or vinaigrette sauce made by combining 4 tablespoons salad oil, 4 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, salt and pepper to taste). Serves 2.

Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.'s Gnocchi a la Romaine

Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.'s Gnocchi a la Romaine

1 qt. milk
1/4 lb. butter
1 nutmeg (ground)
salt and pepper
6 oz. Cream of Wheat
2 egg yolks
1/2 lb. Swiss cheese (grated)

Combine one quart of milk with one-fourth pound of butter, melted, one nutmeg (ground) and salt and pepper. Let come to a boil, add six ounces of Cream of Wheat, and cook in a double boiler for an hour. Add two egg yolks and one-half pound of Swiss cheese (grated). Put in a flat pan, about one inch deep, and cool. Cut in round shapes and put in a buttered baking pan or dish. Cover with grated Swiss cheese and bake for fifteen minutes. Serve very hot.